Road Dawgs Hit NOLA: Week Six Preview

NEW ORLEANS, LA- The Chicago Hounds take on the NOLA Gold in Week Six action of Major League Rugby. The game kicks off from The Gold Mine at 3 PM on Saturday and fans can tune in via Marquee Plus or the Rugby Network.

Charlie Abel, set to make his 50^th MLR appearance, gets his first start of the season, starting at loosehead prop. He’ll pair with Ignacio Peculo, the tighthead, in the front row. Hooker Dylan Fawsitt is back in the starting lineup after coming off of the bench in last week’s contest against the Seattle Seawolves. Backup loosehead prop Fred Apulu retains his spot on the bench while Paddy Ryan could make his third appearance of the season as the replacement tighthead. South African hooker Janus Venter is seeking his Major League Rugby debut from the No. 16 shirt.

Mason Flesch and James Scott will pair together in the engine room for the second consecutive week. Flesch had another strong performance against the Seawolves last week, culminating in his second selection of the season to MLR’s weekly First XV. Scott has been one of the more consistent forwards early on in the season, but the lineout wasn’t operating at its best last weekend. The young English lock will be looking to tidy up the set piece against New Orleans on Saturday.

In the backrow, Ben Landry makes his first start of the season from the blindside flanker position. The former Seawolf made his Hounds’ debut last weekend after spending the first couple weeks of the season rehabbing a minor injury. Canadian flanker Lucas Rumball is back in the starting lineup for the first time since Week 2. After starting the previous three games at openside flanker, Maclean Jones shifts to the No. 8 shirt for this week’s contest.

The Hounds’ staff opted for another 6-2 positional split on the bench, something fans have become accustomed to seeing early on this year. Luke White, Brad Tucker, and Conall Boomer round out the forward substitutes. All three forwards provide the coaching staff with versatility and positional flexibility and will undoubtedly have an impact on the game in the later stages.

Scrumhalf Nick McCarthy makes his sixth start of the campaign and he’ll be linking with flyhalf Adriaan Carelse for the second week in a row. The pair seemingly provided a spark for the Hounds’ attack last weekend, Chicago had its best offensive output of the season against Seattle. Fans should be hopeful that trend continues moving forward.

Captain Billy Meakes will partner with Mark O’Keeffe in the centers once again. The pair has 107 MLR caps combined and has the potential to be one of the best midfields in the league- they were the first-team All-Pro midfield in 2022, after all. As they continue to work together, expect that All-Pro form to appear sooner rather than later.

Nate Augspurger makes his return to the left wing after sustaining a scary injury against New England in Week 4. He takes the place of Julian Dominguez, who was unavailable for selection this weekend. Rookie Noah Brown, fresh off his first career start and an MLR First XV selection, retains his place on the right wing against the Gold. Brown’s speed requires constant attention from the defense and the rookie could cement himself as one of the better attacking threats on the team with another strong showing in Week 6. Dave Kearney makes his first start of the season at fullback after missing out on selection last week. He started on the right wing against Old Glory DC and the New England Free Jacks.

Michael Baska will be seeking his 55 MLR cap from the bench, providing cover at both scrumhalf and wing. Young Irish prospect Caolan Dooley earned his second selection of the season and could get his second cap from the No. 22 shirt.

Week Six Roster: at New Orleans

1. Abel (49)
2. Fawsitt (85)
3. Ignacio Peculo (5)
4. Mason Flesch (32)
5. James Scott (5)
6. Ben Landry (40)
7. Lucas Rumball (58)
8. Maclean Jones (42)
9. Nick McCarthy (5)
10. Adriaan Carelse (42)
11. Nate Augspurger (62)
12. Billy Meakes (46)
13. Mark O’Keeffe (61)
14. Noah Brown (3)
15. Dave Kearney (2)
16. Janus Venter*
17. Fred Apulu (10)
18. Paddy Ryan (56)
19. Luke White (69)
20. Conall Boomer (3)
21. Michael Baska (54)
22. Caolan Dooley (1)
23. Brad Tucker (60)